Wringer



Feb. 20, 1945.

Original Filed May 19, 1937 c. w. WILLIAMS WRINGER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. C/Mrlcs M William:

By wm 1m M e/Av Feb. 20,1945.

c. w. WILLIAMS WRINGER Original Filed May 19, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 m m N3. N W .M WW w a1 head WRINGER Charles W. Wiuia sshaker Heights oniorase Safety Wringer Company,

signor to Automatic a partnershipcompose .Horace Shaker Heights,

:1 of Charles B williamsg .B. Fay, Willoughby,

and Charles W. "Williams, Shaker 'iHeights.

OhiO

vContinuation of uapplica May 19, 1947. 1942, Serial No.:467,2

1'0 claims! ows-#253) This'invention relates to a clothes wringer embodyingthe importantcharacteristics of emclently removing liquid from the clothes and affording safety to the operator and is a continua.- tion of my application Serial No. 143,522, filed May19, 1937. Y I J 1 The general object of this invention has been to produce a multiple roll wringer employing preferably three rolls positioned in such manner that one-roll is common to the'other two and provides two roll bites therewith. Thus clothes are fed to the-wringer from side to side passing from one roll bite to the other. This 'wringer'is of tion Serial No. 143,522, This application November-27,

. cover 20. hinged thereto as at.2-2.-'.Suitable latch distinctive construction in that the common roll is shiftably urgedagainst the other rolls by the. pressure spring mechanism. Thusythe rolliis not only adapted to be power driven but may shift up and down without breaking the driveconnecting it with th power head. i

Mechanism=is provided and becomes active 'on apredetermined separation between two of therolls to stop the operation of the wringer. My wringer thus operates in'generalin' such manner that. the initial orintake roll: bite employsa comparatively light pressure between the rolls and acts "not only to prevent the operator from feeding herwh'anids into thepressure roll bite, but serves to actuate a release which stops the wringer if her hands pass too far intothesame. More specific objects of my inventions-will .become apparent from the following description when construed in the light of the accompanying drawings and the important characteristics-are set out in the claims. i n In the annexed drawings: w Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improvedclothes wringer; v 1-.

Fig.2 is a vertical section through Fig. :1. with parts. in section and other p r s O ,Figs..3. 4,5-and 6 are sections through Fig.2 as indicated bythe lines 33. 4-4, 5-5.and 6-5, respectively, with certain parts omitted; Figs. '1 and 8 are similar to Fig. 3 and show the safety mechanism in difierent operating positions;

F is a detail Showing the type of drive gears employed;. and

y wringer.

mechanism may be employed to retain the cover and the'body in closed relation to eachother and 1 yet permit their ready separationon openingthe (The drive for the wringer,'asrabovestated, is taken'fromthe wringer -post .at It and transmitted intothe head to a bevelygear 25, Fig.2. This gear in turn meshes'with two'bevelgears- 2i and 28; idlycarriedon a short shaft 30 extending into. the wringer body. Rigidlyv secured to. the

shaft 30 between'the adjacent bevel gears is-a I clutch 32 The body end of the shaft 30 has se cured to it a'clutchpulley member 35rand also a gear 31 so carried that'thezshaft may slide with respect thereto. 11; willthus be seen that as the clutch member35 is movedbackand forth'in the manner hereinafter to be described, the'clntch 3-2 will-engageeither thebevel gear 2 101-28 as-desired ,and drive the gear 31, either clockwiseor counterclockwise. r

0f: the three rolls employed in my wringer I prefer to make the top one the power driven roll. To this end the top roll. indicatedat dfl, is carried in the cover 20 and has secured to its shaft adjacent the head endagear adapted to mesh, with the gear, 31. These gears are .of'the construction'shown in Fig. 9. 'As illustrated in that figure each gear comprises two sets of teeth space between the teeth'of the other side. This enables the teeth to be circum'ferentially spaced a considerable distance-apart and thusthegears .Fig. 10 is a detail showing the cam. track ernv ployed in connection with the roll reversing mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows my wlinger as employing :a substantially convention-L the'wringer post of anordinary washing machine.

l5 having a power engagement lfii'with 31 and 42 mayseparate too; considerable'extent and still maintain a drive. The peculiartooth configuration of Fig. 9 also: facilitates" this separable driveby afiordingclearance between the contacting teeth. It will be noted by those skilled in the .art that these gears are fairly cornmoniin washing machines.

Theupper rollMl. as above stated, is the. roll shiftablycarriedagainst the pressurexof thepressure springs and the mountingoi this roll :is best shown .in Figs. 2 and-5. .Itwill there beseen that the top-20 embodies at. eachend thereof. a cross-rib 4,5 which, at its center, is shaped to form an upwardly opening slidewa'y 41 with yer.- tical'guiding 'ilibS' #8. r'I 'he two upper roll journal blocks 50 are carried in the said slidewaysfand guided therein by pinsriiz occupying theveritica'l opening, betweenzthe ribs -48. Downward mcwee ment of the "journal-blocks is limited by the underlying bottom-of. the pockets 41."

Nvringing: pressure: is applied againstthe' top' of the said journal blocks 50 by suitable spring pressure mechanism carried in the cover 20. As shown in Fig. 5, this comprises a pair of pressure springs 55 bearing at one end around a boss on the ribs 45, held in place by nuts 58 carrying washers 57 threaded to restrain bolts 60. These bolts slidably pass through the aforementioned bosses in the ribs 45 and terminateat their upper ends in yokes 62. Fulcrum bars 65 are pivotally carried in the yokes and bear at one end against the journal blocks 50 and at the other end against wear plates 61 integral with the ribs 45. Thus the tendency of the springs 55 to expand applies wringing pressure to the journal blocks 50 and through them to the roll. 40 carried therein in bushings 69.

The two lower rolls, coacting with the top roll 40, are indicated generally at I and I and are carried in the body portion I8. Each roll is seated at its ends in heavy bronze bushings I1, which in turn lie in slots of tieplates 80 at each end of the wringer and thus maintain the lower rolls in proper relation to each other. In the center of each tieplate is a slot '82, in which is slidably carried a guide 85, which as shown in Fig. 4 lies between the lower rolls, and which strips clothes therefrom and prevents their passage downwardly between the rolls, thus insuring feeding of the clothes properly through the wringer. The rolls I0 and T5 are normally retained upwardly either against the roll 40 or, if the top is open, against edges 86 of body cross-ribs 88 by four light springs 90 secured at one end to the plates 80 and at the other end to the said ribs 88. The springs are light enough to permit the feeding of an operators hand between the top roll and one of the lower rolls without harm to the same, although preferably this pressure is sufiicient to pinch the fingers enough to cause the operator to instinctively draw her hand-out of the roll bite. As indioated above, when the top is closed the rolls and I5 contact the top roll 40 and are positioned slightly below the upper edge '86 and thus the only purpose served by the upper edges 86 is to prevent excessive upward movement of the lower rolls when the top is opened.

Since the lower rolls would normally be free to move downwardly except for the light pressure of the springs 90, there would ordinarily be no wringing pressure set up by the two springs 55 acting against the top roll. My wringer is so constructed that either of the lower rolls desired may be forced upwardly against the roll 40 an retained fixedly in position to establish the requisite wringing pressure between that roll and the top roll. When so held the other lower roll is free to drop downwardly except for the light springs 90. When this condition is created the lower roll, locked in position, coacts with the top roll to establish the necessary wringing pressure through the medium of the springs 55 ancfthe other lower roll coacts with the top roll to provide a light pressure intake bite. It -is important that one of the lower rolls is locked against the upper roll it forces the same upwardly enough to push the top roll away from the bottom of the pockets 4'! and thus establish wringing pressure between the rolls before clothes are fed to the wringer. As will be hereinafter shown, the operating mechanism for the lower rolls just described may be shifted to enable either lower roll to operate as the auxiliary intake roll or as the second pressure roll.

A pair of cams 9'5 rotatably carried on a shaft I00 lock either lower roll desired in position as a pressure roll. The periphery of these'cams,

as shown for instance in Fig. 3, is substantially circular with a segment removed along a chord of the cam outer circle. It will be seen that the cam outer face departs from a true circle and tapers inwardly adjacent the cut-off portion as indicated between the arrows in Fig. 3 and marked X. The shaft I00 is journaled in members I02 and secured to the bottom of the body I8. At the end opposite the head the shaft I protrudes through the body wall and has mounted thereon a handle I05.

Either lower roll desired is forced upwardly against the roll 40 by swinging the handle I05 and with it the two cams either clockwise or counterclockwise, depending upon which lower roll is to be positioned. As shown in Fig. 3, the handle has been shifted clockwise and the lefthand tapered surface X of the cams 95 has forced the bushings 'I'! of the roll 75 upwardly to establish wringing pressure between thatroll and roll 40. It will be apparent from the figure that, due to the cut-out portions of the earns 95, the roll I0 is free to drop downwardly against the action of the springs 90. In similar manner, if the handle I05 were rotated counterclockwise the right-hand tapered surface X of the cam 95, Fig. 3, would underlie the bushings of the roll I0 and that roll would coact with the top roll to provide a pressure bite.

Latches are provided to abut the cams 95 in either of their active positions and retain the same locked. These latches are indicated at H0 and carried on lengthwise extending shafts Ii5 along both sides of the wringer. Each shaft carries two latches, thus providing a pair co-acting with each cam 95. The latches are normally urged upwardly in the position shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 3 by light shaft springs bearing at one end against the latch and at the other end against any convenient portion of the body I8. The upward movement of the latches is limited by mating abutments located at I I8 in the latch and rigid with the frame I8.

Steel pins are embedded in the cams 95 to contact the latches and maintain the cams in predetermined position. These pins are indicated at I 25 and are engaged by an inturned flange of the latches III), as best shown in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 3, the right-hand latch is locked behind the right-hand pin I20, maintaining the roll 15 in position to provide a pressure roll bite. At the same time the inturned flange of the lefthand latch IIO lies idly against the edge of the upstanding portion I22 and is inactive.

The latches I I0 may be manually depressed to permit rocking of the cams 95 to an inactive position, removing the pressure from the pressure rolls. To this end there is secured at the right-hand end of the shaft I00, Fig. 2, an upstanding arm I30, to which is attached a tension spring I35 carried at its other end in a pin I31 of the body I8. As shown in Fig. 6, when the cams 05 are in either active position the arm I30 is so positioned that the spring I35 is under'ten sion. Thus, whenthe latches IIO are rocked out of engagement with the coacting pins I20 the tendency of the spring to contract pulls the arm I30 upwardly and rocks the cams 95 to a neutral polslition, releasing the pressure from either lower ro The latches H0 may be manually depressed by the knobs I40 carried in the top 20. A stamping I45 connects each knob with each underlying pair of latches. This stamping, asshown'in Fig.

3, is'yoked atzthe top and bottom to pass beyond the shaftof the roll 40 andthe shaft I respe'c tively: The .sh'aftxI00 is annularly recessed-asshownin that figure to prevent, theloweren'd' of th stamping I45 from slipping 'sidewiseJThis construction is also shown in'Fig. 2. 'Ihe upper end 'of the stamping M is retain'ed from side-1 wise motion by theslot'and pin construction l ll,

I iii-which the pins are carried in "the; cross-ribs 88'. The knobs I40 are-retained lightly against one arm-oftheupper yoke of: the stamping I45 by light springsl50' sufli'oientto prevent rattling j of theparts andyet not sufficient to d'epressjthe latches I I0, againstwhich the lower arrns of, the

stamping I45 bear, It will thus be' seenthat as eitherfknoo Hilts-depressed it 'acts' through its" coa'cting stamping'ldli to depress one of the active latches holdirig' the"cam's-. '95 in -position. Since the' active 'latches"are'yconnected on the rock shaft I I both will rock simultaneously. Thus each' latch. 'drops out of;pos ition behind thef'pins' [-20 and underthe Jaction of-the spring'l35 the cams are returned to aneutralposition; relieving allwr'inging pressure from the rolls;

Rocking 'of the'cams '95 alsoeffectsthedrive to th'e head' of the roll 40. The cam adjacent theheadlendfof the"iwringeris provided on its under'an'd'outer periphery 'w'ith'a cam slot I50,

and best shown" infF 'ig, is development. A

rock arm"I65 Figs.5','7 and "8, is 'pivotedto the body- {at I'Ii'I and terminates at its outer'edge in a=-pin I10 lyin'gincamslot I00 ofthe cam 95 adjacentthe drive end of the wringer, i. e. the.

left hand side of Fig. 2; A second rock arm I'I5, Fig.2, a so pivoted'to the frame I8 to rockabout a" vertical axishas a pin injone arm lying in the annular-recessof'the clutch 35. This armf-is connected by alink TI with the 'pin- IIll of the arm I65, Itthus follows that as the cam 95 is rocked suiiicientlyto'cause the pin I10 to traverse either portion marked A of th efsloti I60, the clutch 35, through the medium ofthe arm I and the link "I", willbe rocked fromfengagementjto in a-ctivefnositionan'd disconnect the clutch 321 from eitherIbevel gear {for 28; During travel of the, pinjI'I0 through the portionfB' of the ca m slot therefis no shiftingofthe clutch. i

(The 'me'chan'ismj just described is utilized to provide an automatiostop for" the wringer when the lower roll, acting as an intake roll, dro s'a predeterminedamount. "When this takes place an edge of the plates 80 contacts an inturned flanged top of adjacent latches I I0 and forces the same downwardly, dropping them from behind the pins I and enabling the cams 95 to be rotated by the spring I35. This rotation is stopped because the pin engaging-portion of the latches will abut a second set of pins I80carried in the cams 95, Fig. 7. The distance of travel permitted between the twosets of pins is sufiicient to enable the pin I10 to travel the length of either cam groove portion A and thus; as before described,

' stop the rotation of the wringer. I v

This is accomplished without relieving the pressure between the pressure, rolls because the cams do not rock far enough to cease contact may be either manual or automatic, acting to stop the roll rotation, and the second, which must be --manual,'to release the wringing pressure. It will be apparent that the construction shown may be a'daptedtofipermit an. automatic and simultaneous stopping "of the wringer with release of pressure. a

f I haveshown several minor features of my invention which .improve the operation thereof.

For"instance-,as 'shown in Figs. 2 and 6, I have placed.a;pulley" 2ll0 on each of the lower roll shaftsand connected the same by a resilient rubber beltr ,The purpose of this is to insure rotation'oftthe auxiliary roll through the more or lesspositivel-y driven pressure-r011 if there isany tendencyyofthe clothes to cause the aforesaid auxiliary roll to slip when they are fed thereto due to. the light pressure normally maintained at the auxiliary roll bite.

Stripper boards 2I0,' as shown in'Fig. 4, are

carried: on the latch shafts H5 and maintained by-lightsprings, notshown, against the lower rolls l0 and. I5: to strip clothes therefrom as they leav thewringer and prevent any tendency of Y the samegto wrap around the rolls. These boards are so shaped that they remainactive as either roll drops, under the impulse of-clothes fed thereto. Strippers 215 are provided, secured to the central top rib and functioningin like manner in conjunction with-the upper roll 40. Admin board or guide I00 is mounted on the shaft I00.

It will beseen from the foregoing description Y that I have invented a novel, efiicient andsa-fe clothes wringer v suchas described and now summarized in the claims. I

Other modes of applyingthe'principlegof' m l invention may be employed instead 'of' the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism'gherein disclosed; provided the means stated .byfany ofthe following claims or the equivalent-of suchstated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as myinventionz.

A wringer comprising-la main frame and a movable topframe, a'roll carried by the top frame, tworolls carried by the'bottom frame in position to establish a pair .of roll bites, pressure mechanism carried byandmovable with said top frame tocoact directly with the top roll and shift able means to establishwringing pressure between the top roll and 'eitherof the lower rolls'as debetween the tapered surfaces X thereof and the bushings IT, with which they are in engagement.

The pressure is released by depressing-the knob I40 and rocking thelatches IIO out'of engagement with the second setof pins I80, whereupon,

sired.

' 2. In a wringer, a main frame, a top frame underlie either lower roll desired to establish wrinting pressure between the top roll and either lower roll, and means for automatically releasing the cams from said underlying position when a predetermined thickness of material is fed to the-wringer tostop rotation of the wringer.

3. In a' wringer, a frame, three rolls carried in said frame in position to establish a pair of roll bites, pressure mechanism to establish wringing pressure at either roll bite desired, power means the spring I35 is free to draw the cams 95130 a completely neutral position,

It has been found desirable to require two motions in the operation of my wringer, one, which to drive said wringer, reversible means to reverse the direction'of said rolls and said pressure mechanism includingicams shiftable to establish said wringing pressure at either bite desired and control the direction of rotation of said rolls, and .75

means to maintainthe cams in any one of five positions, two positions maintaining wringing pressure at respective roll bites and connecting the rolls to the drive means to rotate the same in the desired direction, two positions stopping the roll rotation without releasing the wringing pressure and the fifth position releasing the wringing pressure from both roll bites and stopping the roll rotation.

4. In a wringer, a frame, three rolls carried in said frame with one roll common to the other two to establish a pair of clothes gripping bites, mechanism to urge said one roll and either of said pair of rolls together to establish a clothes wringing bite, comprising a shiftable element adapted to urge one of the rolls forming said wringing bite against the other roll, means normally active to shift said element out of coacting position with said roll and a latch to retain said element in coacting position as aforesaid.

5. In a wringer, a frame, three rolls carried thereby and spaced with one roll common to and its surface coacting with each of the other two roll surfaces to provide a pair of roll bites, a shiftable support for said common roll to permit movement of said roll away from said other rolls, resilient pressure mechanism to urge said common roll toward said other two rolls and establish wringing pressure between said common roll and either one of the other rolls as desired, power means to drive said rolls including reverse means and mechanism shiftable to alternately establish wringing pressure between said common roll and either of said other rolls to feed clothes. to the wringer from opposite directions as desired, said reversing means being automatically operable upon shifting said shifting member.

6. In, a wringer, a frame, three rolls carried by the frame with one roll surface coacting with the roll surface of each of the other two rolls to provide a pair of roll bites, shiftable supports for each roll in said wringer to permit separation of the roil bites, power means to drive said rolls,

separable connection means to reverse the direction of rotation of said rolls, common resilient pressure mechanism operable to be efiective at one bite or the other to establish wringing pressure at either of said roll bites to feed clothes through said wringer from either of said direc- 7. A wringer comprising a frame, a, plurality of rolls insaid frame coacting to provide a pair of roll bites, mechanism to establish wringing pressure at either roll bite desired, power means to rotate the rolls and means connected for simultaneous operation and operable to both reverse the direction of rotation of said rolls and release the wringing pressure at the one roll bite and establish wringing pressure at the other roll bite.

8. A wringer comprising a main frame, a top frame, a roll carried in said top frame, a pair of rolls in said main frame and positioned to each coact with the top frame roll to provide a pair of roll bites, mechanism in the main frame and shiftable to coact with either lower roll desired to establish wringing pressure between that roll and the top roll, power means to drive said rolls, reversing means to reverse the direction of rotation of said rolls, and said mechanism being operatively connected to and actuated with the roll reversing means to also shift said pressure bite from one roll bite to the other.

9. In a wringer, a frame, an upper roll and a pair of lower rolls carried therein, each coacting with said upper roll, a shiftable support for said lower rolls alternately to permit one of said rolls to move away from said upper roll as desired and means to engage the other of said lower rolls and prevent movement away from said top roll and spring means bearing on said top roll to urge the same downwardly against said other roll to provide a pressure bite.

10. A wringer comprising a frame, three rolls in said frame with one roll above being resiliently urged toward and coacting with the other two to provide a pair of roll bites, each'of said tions, and linkage mechanism interconnecting said pressure mechanism and said separable reversing means to simultaneously actuate said means to control the operation of said wringer.

bites opening upwardly, a shiftable support for said lower rolls to permit said rolls to move away from said upper roll, a member shiftable to engage either 'of said lower rolls as desired and prevement movement of said engaged roll away from said top roll, reversible power means to drive said rolls, a control member and mechanism actuated by shifting said control member to thereby both drivingly connect said rolls for rotation by said power means and also shift said shiftable member to engage one of said lower rolls to place the same in wringing relation with said one roll.

CHARLES W. WILLIAMS. 

